GB2178632A

GB2178632A - Fishing rod rest

Info

Publication number: GB2178632A
Application number: GB08619139A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Ronald George Hall
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1985-08-07
Filing date: 1986-08-06
Publication date: 1987-02-18
Also published as: GB8619139D0; GB8519762D0; GB2178632B

Abstract

A fishing rod rest comprises a pillar element having at its top end a rod-receiving part and at its bottom end a foot or feet for engaging the bed of a fishing water and a control element anchored near the top of the pillar element. In use, the pillar element is extended into the water from the bank or edge and lowered so that its foot or feet engage the bed as far out as possible and it is then swung outwardly to a more or less upright active position in which it is supported by the control element, which may be a flexible cord or a rigid element.

Description

SPECIFICATION Fishing rod rest Anglers frequently use a fishing rod rest, commonly a rod which may be pushed into the bed of the fishing water carrying at its top end a V-shaped bracket on which the fishing rod may be rested. This saves the angler from having to hold the fishing rod all the time he is fishing, avoiding fatigue and enabling him to attend to other things.

Unless the lake, river or other fishing water is shallow enough for wading and the angler appropriately equipped, a conventional rod rest as described can only be placed in position from the bank, more or less at arm's length, say a maximum of one metre from the water's edge. The angler usually wishes to place his bait as far from the bank as possible and therefore positions himself close to the water's edge. Thus in praotical angling the conventional fishing rod rest can provide support for the fishing rod only about one metre from the angler's optimum position in relation to the water. Most fishing rods are considerably longer than one metre. Modern "roach poles", for example, can be as long as fifteen metres or more.A conventional rod rest positioned about one metre from the angler's position therefore provides only unstable support and it is necessary to hold or anchor the butt end of the rod in order to prevent it from falling into the water, either under its own weight or if a fish takes the bait.

In fishing with a long "roach pole" fishing rod, the line is secured to the forward end of the rod and no reel is used. Depending upon the depth of the fishing water, the line and tackle may be no longer than two or three metres, usually much less than the length of the rod. Therefore when the angler wishes to remove a hooked fish or attend to his tackle he cannot do this by swinging the rod to bring the tackle within reach, as can an angler using a shorter rod, but has to draw the rod back longitudinally, usually removing sections as he does so, until the effective rod length is comparable with the length of the line and tackle.To facilitate this operation, conventional fishing rod rests have been made with rollers on the V-shaped bracket, but when positioned only one metre from the angler they do not provide much assistance and some anglers use a second rest, positioned a metre or more to the rear, to receive and support the butt end of the fishing rod as it is drawn back.

This invention provides a fishing rod rest which may be positioned much more than one metre from the angler, and can be retrieved, without difficulty.

According to this invention a fishing rod rest comprises a pillar eiement, one end of which is intended to engage the bed of the fishing water, a rod-receiving part adjacent to the other end of the pillar element and a control element connected to the pillar element or to the rod-receiving part in a position remote from the said one end.

The rod-receiving part may be a V-shaped bracket as used in conventional fishing rod rests and may include an anti-friction roller or rollers. It is preferably mounted adjustably on the said other end of the pillar element so that the effective height of the fishing rod rest may be varied.

The pillar element preferably has at its said one end two spaced feet to be positioned on the bed of the water on a line roughly parallel to the bank or edge of the water and at least one foot is adjustable to accommodate any unevenness in the bed. Conveniently it comprises two similar legs connected to a block which carries the rod-receiving part. The legs may be adjustable in length, for example being formed by telescopic tubes. Their ends may be sharpened to assist engagement with a soft bed. Detachable feet may be provided, for example of rubber, for engaging a hard bed.

The control element may be flexible, for example a cord, or may be rigid and hingedly connected to the pillar element or the rodreceiving part. If rigid, it may comprise telescopic sections, and the hinged connection may include releasable locking means activatable from the end of the control element remote from the hinged connection for making the rest more rigid in use.

In use of the fishing rod rest according to the invention, usually positioned near the bank or edge of the fishing water, extends the said one end (the bottom end) of the pillar element as far out as possible into the water and lowers it until it engages the bed of the water.

He then swings its top outwardly into an active position, more or less upright, in which it is retained by the control element, which can be anchored to the bank by a a peg or to some suitable object on the bank.

If the control element is flexible the angler must swing the top of the pillar element outwardly with sufficient impulse to cause it to pass through the vertical into an outwardlyinclined active position, at the same time holding the control element, or having previously anchored it, in an appropriate position to prevent the pillar element from falling over in the water. The final inclination of the pillar ele ment in its active position can be adjusted by altering the effective length of the anchored control element.

If, on the other hand, the control element is rigid, for example formed by telescopic tubes, it may be used to assist the initial positioning of the pillar element in the water and for swinging it outwardly as well as for retaining it in the active position. The active position of the pillar element can be upright or outwardly or inwardly inclined with respect to the bank.

Depending to some extent upon the depth of the fishing water and the height of the bank above the water, a fishing rod rest according to the invention having an overall height of two metres can be placed easily in a fishing water in an active position with the rod-receiving part above the water some three metres from the bank, without the angler entering the water. It can thus provide much more efficient support for a long fishing rod than is provided by a conventional rod rest which is only placed at arm's length.

An embodiment of the invention is illustrated by way of example by the accompanying drawing, in which: Figure 1 is a perspective view of the top portion of a fishing rod rest, and Figure 2 is a diagrammatic cross section through a fishing water and the adjacent bank, showing the fishing rod rest in an active position.

The fishing rod rest consists of a pillar element having a block 1 at its top end in which is slidably mounted a rod 2 which can be clamped in any desired position by a clamping bar 3 for adjusting the height of the rest. Two legs 4, each comprising two telescopic tubes, are pivoted to the block 1 so that they may be placed apart as shown for use or folded alongside the rod 2 for storage and transport.

At the top end of the rod 2 is a V-shaped rod-receiving bracket 5 having anti-friction rollers. An eye 6 is provided on the rod 2 just below the bracket 5 for attachment of a control element, which may be a flexible element such as a cord or a rigid element as mentioned above. Fig. 2 shows a control element 7 which is a cord, the end of which remote from the eye 6 is anchored to a peg 8 driven into the bank adjacent to the water's edge.

As shown in Fig. 2, in using the fishing rod rest, the angular first extends its bottom end into the water and lowers it until its feet, the ends of the legs 2, rest upon the bed 9 of the water, in the position shown in chaindotted lines. At this point he can adjust the lengths of the legs 2 to allow for any irregularity in the bed and/or adjust the position of the rod 2 to set the desired height of the rest. He then swings the top of the pillar element outwardly as shown by the chain-dotted arrow A so that it passes through the vertical plane 10 through the points of contact of the feet with the bed, at the same time holding on to the end of the control cord 7 or having previously anchored it as shown.In swinging the top outwardly, he must apply sufficient impulse to cause it to pass through the plane 10 and it then comes to rest in an outwardlyinclined active position as shown in full lines.

The final inclination in the active position may be adjusted before finally anchoring the control cord 7. If a rigid control element was used instead of the cord 7, that could be used to swing the top of the pillar element outwardly and the active position could be upright or inwardly or outwardly inclined since the control element could provide thrust or tension as required.

To retrieve the fishing rod rest, the angler simply pulls on the control element. As the ends of the legs have not been driven into the bed 9 of the water like a corventional rod rest, but simply stand on the bed, there is usually little resistance and the pillar element is readily swung back to the position shown in chain-dotted lines and can be lifted clear of the water.

The ends of the legs 4 may be sharp to promote firm engagement with the bed of the water and may have detachable feet for selective use with different types of bed. Instead of being pivotally connected to the block 1, the legs could be detachably secured in bores in the block, for example by the screw threads. Instead of the V-shaped rod-receiving bracket 5 with rollers on the two arms, a bracket could have a single roller of diabolo or other waisted shape mounted on a rod perpendicular to the rod 2.

Claims

1. A fishing rod rest comprising a pillar element, one end of which is intended to engage the bed of a fishing water, a rod-receiving part adjacent to the other end of the pillar element and a control element connected to the pillar element or to the rod-receiving part in a position remote from the said one end.

2. A fishing rod rest as claimed in Claim 1 wherein the rod-receiving part is adjustably mounted on the pillar element.

3. A fishing rod rest as claimed in Claim 1 or Claim 2 wherein the pillar element has at its said one end two spaced feet.

4. A fishing rod rest as claimed in Claim 3 wherein at least one foot is adjustable.

5. A fishing rod rest as claimed in Claim 3 wherein the pillar element comprises two leg members anchored to a block carrying the rod-receiving part.

6. A fishing rod rest as claimed in Claim 5 wherein one or both legs are adjustable in length.

7. A fishing rod rest as claimed in any preceding claim wherein the control element is flexible.

8. A fishing rod rest as claimed in any of Claims 1 to 6 wherein the control element is rigid and is hingedly connected to the pillar element or to the rod-receiving part.

9. A fishing rod rest comprising a pillar element formed by a pair of legs, adjustable in length, each connected at one end to a block carrying an adjustable rod-receiving part, their other ends being spaced, or capable of being spaced, apart for engaging the bed of a fishing water, and a flexible control cord connected to the pillar element adjacent to the rod-receiving part.

10. A fishing rod rest substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as illustrated by the accompanying drawing.

11. A method of use of a fishing rod rest substantially as hereinbefore described and as illustrated by Fig. 2 of the accompanying drawing.